School and College Curricula of Manipur
(A void of 21st century imperatives therein)

Dr. Soibam Birahari Singh *

Curriculum is the vehicle by or with which learners can reach the goals of education. Subject maters, appropriate to cope with the changes to come as the built in character of society, are to be included in the curricula. Individuals are to keep pace with the changes to come for winning a successful harmonious social life.

The article's primary attempt is to prove or expose the void of such subject matters or perspectives in the curricula of schools and colleges. The secondary attempt is to suggest subject matters to be included and modalities of inclusion of the subject matters.

Professors Stella Ting-Toomey & John G. Oetzel rightly asserted, "At the dawning of the 21st century, it is inevitable that we will encounter people from diverse cultures and ethnicities in our own backyards. Learning to understand such cultural differences and dealing with these differences proactively will serve as a major step toward building a more harmonious multicultural society".

21st century people are to have cultural proficiency. They can no longer have cultural blindness. In another sense they are ought to have intercultural conflict competence. Coming of changes because of the impact of globalization is unstoppable. Hence subject matters designed to develop cultural proficiency and intercultural conflict competence are to be accommodated in the curricula of schools and colleges.

Unfortunately, this is not happened. An infant has cultural blindness. When the infant grows up he cannot be a culturally blind person in a multicultural country like ours. Even adults are culturally blind since they are not well-informed by providing well-designed lessons.

With a view to win a successful harmonious social life cultural proficiency is to be developed in teachers and students alike. Well-designed theory and practice are to be formulated with perfect objectivism, pragmatism and realism. In order to develop cultural proficiency and intercultural conflict competence our learners are to be made familiar with the diverse peoples and cultures of India.

This perspective in not yet given preponderance in compulsory subjects of schools and colleges.

"Cultural proficiency is a mind-set, a worldview, a way a person or an organization make assumptions for effectively describing, responding to, and planning for issues that arise in diverse environments. For some people, cultural proficiency is a paradigm shift from viewing cultural difference as problematic to learning how to interact effectively with other cultures." Lindsey, R.b. et al wrote.

"Intercultural conflict competence refers to applying the intercultural knowledge we have learned in a skilful manner. It refers to a transformative learning process in connecting intercultural knowledge with competent conflict practice" Ting-Toomey, S & Oetzel, J.G. Wrote.

Intercultural conflict competence can be developed in teachers and students alike with the help of well-designed curriculum without affecting National Curriculum Framework 2005.

Genetic and anthropological compulsions in fixation of skin colours, physical structures, appearances and cultures of diverse peoples of India are to be made conversant with our learners so that difference they experience should not be despised.

MODALITIES FOR INCORPORATON OF APPROPRIATE SUBJECT MATTERS

Precisely incorporation of the subject matters designed for the development of cultural proficiency and intercultural conflict competence by removing cultural blindness can be done in the present subjects also with the change of contents. A new subject of study under the nomenclature - Know Your Land and People can be introduced in a hierarchical formation from high school to college standards.

A compulsory subject under the nomenclature Know your Land and People is to be introduced in schools and colleges in a hierarchical formation. Genetic, anthropological, historical and geographical factors that framed the difference are to be made familiar with the learners. If they know the imperatives for having the differences, they will no longer despise the difference.

The learners are not, in fact, familiar with imperatives for having the differences. Because of ignorance of the imperatives, in most of the cases, different racial skin colour, appearance, physical structure, food habit, etc. are despised. Misunderstanding is considered as the root cause of the despise.

As part of educational practice our learners can be provided objective information about cultural practices of diverse cultural groups on the occasion of festivals of diverse groups through the play of CDs.

Educational excursions to states and regions of diverse people can be conducted in collaboration with the peoples of the states or areas. Well-designed instructional CDs can be prescribed to play on the specific days of festivals.

The number of genetic, geographical, anthropological and sociological factors that conditioned the diversity are to be made conversant with the learners so that the difference should not be despised. Perfect objectivity is to be ensured in theory and practica of such approach.

CONCLUSION

The cultural blindness has to be removed and cultural proficiency as well as intercultural conflict competence are to be developed so as to mitigate inordinate conflicts we experience at present. Objectivism, Pragmatism and Realism are to be philosophical underpinning for such mission.